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| Modi Voices Concern at Crimes Seen to Target India’s Christians | Modi Voices Concern at Crimes Seen to Target India’s Christians |
| (5 days later) | |
| NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India expressed concern on Friday about a series of episodes at Catholic churches in New Delhi that have raised fears among Christians here about a deliberate campaign of violence. | |
| Mr. Modi’s remarks, part of a conversation with the police commissioner of the Delhi region and relayed through the commissioner, came after President Obama called for religious tolerance during a visit to India last month. | Mr. Modi’s remarks, part of a conversation with the police commissioner of the Delhi region and relayed through the commissioner, came after President Obama called for religious tolerance during a visit to India last month. |
| The latest suspicious incident, what appeared to be a robbery at a Catholic girls’ school in the capital, was reported on Friday morning. At least five Catholic churches in and around Delhi have reported various attacks, including suspected arson, burglary, vandalism and stone throwing. | The latest suspicious incident, what appeared to be a robbery at a Catholic girls’ school in the capital, was reported on Friday morning. At least five Catholic churches in and around Delhi have reported various attacks, including suspected arson, burglary, vandalism and stone throwing. |
| An official statement from Mr. Modi’s office did not explicitly mention the episodes at churches, which began in December. Instead, the prime minister expressed his “deep concern and anguish” over the rising crime rate in Delhi. | An official statement from Mr. Modi’s office did not explicitly mention the episodes at churches, which began in December. Instead, the prime minister expressed his “deep concern and anguish” over the rising crime rate in Delhi. |
| At a meeting on Friday, he expressed concern specifically about the church episodes and asked the police commissioner, B.S. Bassi, to investigate the incidents of vandalism, Mr. Bassi said. | At a meeting on Friday, he expressed concern specifically about the church episodes and asked the police commissioner, B.S. Bassi, to investigate the incidents of vandalism, Mr. Bassi said. |
| “He has instructed me that the Delhi police must take effective measures so that people who commit such incidents are caught and, apart from that, such incidents are not repeated,” Mr. Bassi said. | “He has instructed me that the Delhi police must take effective measures so that people who commit such incidents are caught and, apart from that, such incidents are not repeated,” Mr. Bassi said. |
| Mr. Modi’s message was an eagerly awaited, if indirect, acknowledgment for Christian leaders who have feared pressure from right-wing Hindu activists since the election victory of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party last May. | Mr. Modi’s message was an eagerly awaited, if indirect, acknowledgment for Christian leaders who have feared pressure from right-wing Hindu activists since the election victory of his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party last May. |
| Some Christian leaders and human rights advocates have speculated that the cases were part of a coordinated attempt by right-wing Hindu groups to intimidate India’s Christian minority, which makes up about 2 percent of the population. | Some Christian leaders and human rights advocates have speculated that the cases were part of a coordinated attempt by right-wing Hindu groups to intimidate India’s Christian minority, which makes up about 2 percent of the population. |
| The announcement of the prime minister’s meeting with the police commissioner came after reports on Friday of the episode at the Holy Child Auxilium School in Delhi. Sister Lucy John, the school principal, said that 12,000 rupees, a little less than $200, had been stolen from the school and that no religious items had been touched. | The announcement of the prime minister’s meeting with the police commissioner came after reports on Friday of the episode at the Holy Child Auxilium School in Delhi. Sister Lucy John, the school principal, said that 12,000 rupees, a little less than $200, had been stolen from the school and that no religious items had been touched. |
| “We are certainly grateful that the P.M. has finally broken his silence and invited the police commissioner,” said the Rev. Dominic Emmanuel, a spokesman for the Delhi archdiocese. “We had been always hoping right from the first attack onward that such things would not be repeated.” | “We are certainly grateful that the P.M. has finally broken his silence and invited the police commissioner,” said the Rev. Dominic Emmanuel, a spokesman for the Delhi archdiocese. “We had been always hoping right from the first attack onward that such things would not be repeated.” |
| Mr. Bassi said the Delhi police would work with the church authorities to install surveillance cameras and appoint guards. | Mr. Bassi said the Delhi police would work with the church authorities to install surveillance cameras and appoint guards. |
| The commissioner said three of the five recent cases involving churches had been resolved. In two of them, he said, “the motive was not to attack a particular community.” | |
| In his televised comments, he did not explain the most serious incident, a fire at an East Delhi church on Dec. 1, which church officials believe was arson. An investigative branch of the Delhi police is handling that case. | |
| Mr. Bassi said two cases involving Christians remained unsolved: the vandalism of a church on Feb. 2 in South Delhi and the case at the school on Friday. | Mr. Bassi said two cases involving Christians remained unsolved: the vandalism of a church on Feb. 2 in South Delhi and the case at the school on Friday. |
| “I would like to assure our Christian brothers and sisters that the police are entirely alert to your safety,” Mr. Bassi said. | “I would like to assure our Christian brothers and sisters that the police are entirely alert to your safety,” Mr. Bassi said. |
| Father Emmanuel, for his part, was unconvinced by the official explanation that the previous church occurrences were random. | |
| “They always have an excuse,” he said. “They’re not trying to see what we see.” | “They always have an excuse,” he said. “They’re not trying to see what we see.” |